Dispensing machine



Oct. 25, 1966 c. c. HALL 3,230,533

DISPENSING MACHINE Filed April 1o, 1965 4 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR.

CLAUDE C. HALL BY [/uMz/L/ SMV/ZZ v7/wijf? ATTORNEYS Oct. 25, 1966 c. c. HALL DISPENSING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 10, 1965 INVENTOR. CLAUDE C. HALL ATTORNEYS Oct. 25, 1966 C. c. HALL 3,280,533

DI SPENS ING MACHINE Filed April lO, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 o o D 23e o o @l FIG. 3.

o o 24o 22o 2|e '38 f 222 FIG. 4. |42 208 l2 i fo'f |40 y )V n f Ol 2|e mzlo W26 |28 ||6 2|4 |84 23o 236 232 l' INVENTOR. l CLAUDE C. HALL I@i242 BY ATTORNEYS Oct. 25, 1966 C, C, HALL 3,280,533

DISPENSING MACHINE 4 leo 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April l0, 1963 INVENTOR.

BY CLAUDE C. HALL 22 nd/4.0, ATTORNEYS United States Patent Utilice Bdili Patented ct. 25, 1956 3,280,533 nrsrnNsiNG Meerman Claude C. Hail, Springfield, Fa., assigner to Smith KlineV The present invention relates to a dispensing machine and, more particularly, to a machine for winding slips of paper into tubular form and dispensing the rolled slips of paper into successive bottles as the latter are successively conveyed through the machine. As used hereinafter, the term slip is intended to denote a strip of any flexible material which may be either folded or unfolded prior to insertion into the machine. However, in connection with a preferred use of the machine, each slip cornprises a length of relatively stiff paper which has been previously folded and creased along its length.

In the pharmaceutical field, governmental regulations require that certain information relating to the chemical composition of drugs lbe contained in the bottle along with the tablets or capsules and, in order to comply with these regulations, it has been necessary to manually roll each information slip into the form of a tube and manually insert the tube into each individual bottle. This time consuming step substantially reduces the production rate of such drugs unless a relatively large number of employees are utilized to perform this step and obviously the latter alternative substantially increases production costs.

It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a dispensing machine for inserting articles into successive bottles whereby the rate of production is greatly increased and the number of attendent personnel is reduced by a factor of two-thirds.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a-dispensing machine which is exceptionally simple in construction while providing fully synchronized operation of various components performing individual but related functions.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a ldispensing machine having means whereby ready access may be gained lto certain portions of the machine in the event that adjustment becomes necessary during operation.

It is also a further object of the present invention to provide a dispensing machine the operation of which can be terminated only during a predetermined phase of each cycle of operation.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a slip dispensing machine wherein an operator may supply a slip to a first portion of the machine during any portion of the operating cycle thereof and, thereafter, the slip will be fed automatically to the winding portion of the machine only during the proper phase of each cycle.

These objects, as well as others relating to the details of construction and operation, will become more fully apparent from the following description when taken with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE l is a front, elevational View of the entire machine;

FIGURE 2 is a side, elevational veiw of the entire machine taken alonU the plane indicated by line 2 2 of FIGURE 1 with portions thereof shown in section;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of the upper portion of the machine taken along the plane indicated by line 3 3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of the upper middle portion of the machine taken along the plane indicated by line 4 4 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of the lower middle portion of the machine taken along the plane indicated by line 5 5 of FIGURE 2; v

FGURE 6 is a sectional View of the lowermost portion of the machine taken along the plane indicated by line 6 6 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary sectional View of a portion of the machine taken along the plane indicated by line '7 7 of FIGURE 6; and

FIGURE 8 is a schematic View of the control circuitry associated with the machine.

Reference is first made to FIGURES 1 and 2 wherein numeral 10 designates a conveyor which moves from left to right as viewed in FIGURE 1 and which may be in the form of an endless belt or a circular disc, the latter form being preferred since a plurality of dispensing machines may then be arranged about the periphery of the disc so as to occupy a minimum of door space along the assembly line. Regardless of the form of the conveyor, a plurality of chutes are formed by vertical partitions 12, 14, 16 and 18, it being understood that each of the chutes is aligned with an associated dispensing machine only one of which is illustrated in the drawings.

As further shown in FIGURE l, each of the above mentioned partitions is supported by a plurality of depending supports 20 which are secured to the underneath surface of a shelf 22 lthe latter of which also supports the various elements comprising the entire machine.

For purposes of description, the entire machine may be designated as comprising three individual portions or sub-assemblies which are hereinafter referred to as the slip feeding assembly 25, the bottle positioning assembly 75, and the slip wrapping and inserting assembly Si).

Referring first to the slip feeding assembly 25 as most clearly shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 6, this assembly includes a pair of angle brackets 26, 28 which are secured to the forward edge of shelf 22 by means such as machine screws which are received in the shelf as well as in a pair of blocks 32 secured to the upper surface of the shelf. Brackets 26 and 28 support a plate 34 which is secured to and extends horizontally across the underneath surfaces of the brackets. Plate 34 extends to the left as veiwed in FIGURE 2 beyond the forward edges of the angle brackets and supports a pair of guides 38, 39 the upturned edges of which are slightly convergent as most clearly shown in FIGURE 6.

Guides 38 and 39 serve to guide each of the information slips 4t) into .the cradle formed between adjacent feed roller 42 and 44 which are journalled for rotation between plate 34 and a pair lof overhanging sup-ports 46 and 48 secured to the upper edges of brackets 46 and 48, respectively. Roller 44 is an idler roller composed `of hard rubber which is adjustably mounted in a slot 50 in support 4S so that the :frictional engagement of the rollers may be varied. Roller 42 is metallic and is driven through a ilexible shaft 52 from a small motor 54 mounted on an angle bracket 55 secured to the upper portion of the machine.

The slip feeding assembly 25 also includ-es an 'abutment member 58 which depends from the forward end of an operating link 6i) the mid portion of which is pivoted at 62. VThe right hand end of link 60, as viewed in FIG- URES 2 and 6, carries a cam .follower roller 64 which is adapted to be moved downwardly from the position illustrated in FIGURE 2 upon engagement with .an arcuate cam 66 secured to the underneath surface of a rotating disc 68. The right hand end of 'link 6d is biased upwardly into engagement with cam 66 by means of a tension spring 70 so that abutment 58 is biased downwardly to the position illustrated in FIGURE 2 in which position the abutment engages slip 40 and prevents the slip from being fed into the machine, it being understood that the frictional engagement of the slip by drive roller 42 is insufcient to feed the slip into the machine when the latter is restrained by abutment 58.

The bottle positioning assembly 75 will now be described with particular reference to FIGURES 2 and 6 wherein numeral 74 indicates a horizontally reciprocating plate which slides over shelf22 between lateral `guides 76 and 78. As most clearly shown inA FIGURE 6, plate 74 includes a pair of integral ears 80 which extend laterally across the ends of guides 76 and 78 so .as to serve as abutments for limiting the leftward movement of the plate under the biasing force of a pair of springs 82 secured between ears `80 and stationary pins 84 mounted in blocks 32. In order to move plate 74 to the right as viewed in FIGURES 2 and 6, the plate carries a cam follower roller 86 which extends upwardly from the upper surface of the plate as shown in FIGURE 2. Roller 86 is adapted to be engaged by a two-part cam generally indicated at 88. This cam includes a disc portion 90 having an integral lobe portion 92 and a separate cam eleme-nt 94 overlapping lobe 92 and secured t-o disc 90 by means of a bolt 96 passing through .an arcuate slot 98. Thus, angular adjustment of element 92 serves to vary the circumferential extent of the cam so that roller 86 and plate 74 may be held in their rightmost positions for varying periods of time during each revoluti-on of the cam.

As most clearly shown in FIGURE 2, the left end of plate 74 terminates in a depending portion 100 which extends downwardly through a slot provided in shelf 22, this slot extending from the forward edge of the shelf to the position indicated at 102. Depending portion 100 supports a vertical plate 104 which, in turn, supports a vertically lgrooved block 106 the vertical position of which may be adjusted by means of screws 108 received in slots 110. Directly opposite block 106, partition 16 supports a vertically grooved member 112 which cooperates with block 106 so as to clamp each successive bottle in the proper position beneath the slip winding and inserting assembly 50 located immediately thereabove.

Before describing the details of assembly 50, the supporting structure for supporting this assembly will be described with particular reference to FIGURES l, 2 and 6. This. structure includes a pair of vertically extending braces 114 and 116 having enlarged base portions 118 and 120 which are rigidly secured to blocks 32. A rst vertically extending side wall 122 is secured to brace 114 by screws 124 and a .second side wall 126 is similarly secured to brace 116 by means of screws 128. Walls 122 and 126 are respectively provided with cutout portions 125 and 127 which are covered by plates 129 and 131 so as to permit lateral clearance for a drive chain 206. f

Referring now to FIGURES l, 2 and 3, assembly 50 i is supported by an axial thrust bearing 130 which rests on a horizontally extending plate 132 the latter of which is Irigidly secured to opposite side walls 122 and 126. Immediately below plate 132, assembly 50 includes a sprocket 134 having a depending collar portion 136 which is rigidly connected to the upper, input side of a friction clutch 138. The lower, output drive porti-on of clutch 138 carries a stop pin 140 and a centra-l Shaft 142 the latter of which extends downwardly through an outer sleeve 144. Sleeve 144 is guided for vertical reciprocation in a block 146 and terminates in a reduced diameter portion 148 surrounding a re-duced diameter portion 150 of shaft 142.

As pointed out hereinabove, sleeve 144 is adapted to be reciproacted between the uppermost position illustrated in FIGURE 2 and the lowermost position illustrated in dotted line in FIGURE 7 wherein the tip portion 148 of the sleeve passes through an aperture 149 in plate 34. This reciprocating movement is transmitted to the sleeve through a linkage assembly most clearly shown in FIG- URES 2 and 5 which includes a lirst link 154 pivotally mounted at 156 and carrying a cam follower roller 158. The opposite end of this link terminates in a bifurcated portion 160 pivotally secured to a second link 162 the latter of which is pivotally connected to a pair of ears 164 rigidly secured to the sleeve. It will also Ibe noted that the bifurcat-ed end of link 154 is biased upwardly by a tension spring 166.

As most clearly shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the lowermost end of shaft 142 is provided with a slot 167 whereby the shaft terminates in a bifurcated portion generally indicated as 168. Portion 168 is thereby adapted t-o receive each information slip.40 which is successively fed into slot 167 by the above mentioned feed rollers 42 and 44.

As further shown in FIGURES 2, 6 and 7, the bifurcated portion of shaft 142 is surrounded by a two-piece block the first portion 170 of which isrigidly secured in place by means of screws 172. The second portion of the block comprises a removable section 174 which is retained in position by means of pins 176 received in corresponding vertical bores provided in portion 174. A handle 178 is preferably secured to portion 174 so as to facilitate the removal of this section in the event that such removal becomes necessary as will be more .fully described hereinafter.

Block portions 170 and 174 are respectively provided f with semicircular surfaces 178 and 180 which are spaced from but collectively surround shaft portion 168. In addition, these elements collectively define a slot 182 which is adapted to ,receive one end of each information slip as the latter is fed through slot 167 by the feed rollers.

Reference is now made to the various timing and drive mechanisms for operating each of the above described elements with the exception of the feed rollers which are driven by motor 54, as previously described. As most clearly shown in FIGURES l, 2 and 3, and integral ymotor and gear reduction unit 184 is mounted on a vertical wall 186 supported between walls 122 and 126 by means of bolts 188. The motor and gear reduction unit 184 includes an output drive shaft 190 rigidly secured to a sprocket 192 which drives a second sprocket 194 through a drive chain 196. Sprocket 196 is rigidly secured to an integral, vertically extending cam shaft 198 which is supported in a bearing 200 secured to the underneath surface of a plate 202 extending horizontally from between walls 122 and 126.

Immediately below `bearing 200, shaft 198 carries a sprocket 204 which drives previously recited sprocket 134 through drive chain 206. In this manner, continuous drive is supplied to sprocket 134 which, in turn, continuously drives the upper portion of slip clutch 138. On the other hand, the lower, output portion of slip clutch 138 is normally prevented from rotation due to the engagement of pin 140 with `the end of a rocker arm 208 which, as most clearly shown in FIGURE 4, is pivotally connected to wall 126 by bracket 21.0 and pin 212. As further shown in FIGURE 4, the right hand end of rocker arm 208 carries a cam follower roller 214 which is biased into engagement with a cam 216 by means of a tensional spring 218. Cam 216 includes a circular portion 220 which normally maintains rocker arm 208 in abutting relationship with pin 140. However, cam 216 further includes an indented portion 222 which permits the rocker arm to pivot out of engagement with stop 140 under the influence of spring 218 so that the output portion of clutch 138 and shaft 142 are driven through one revolution before the rocker arm is returned to the position illustrated in FIGURE 4. Thus, the clutch and rocker arm assembly function as a one revolution clutch so that shaft 142 is rotated only at predetermined intervals.

Again referring to FIGURE 2, cam shaft 198 also drives previously recitedfdisc 68 which supports lower cam 66 cooperating with roller 64 and an upper cam 224 which cooperates with roller 158 so as to reciprocate sleeve 144 through links 154, 162 and 164.

The lowermost portion of cam shaft 198 drives cam 88 which cooperates with roller 86 so as to reciprocate plate U 74 and block 106 in order to successively clamp each bottle in position beneath assembly 50.

Reference is now made to the control circuitry schematically illustrated in FIGURE 8 which includes a plurality of switches connected between motors 54, 184 and a suitable power source 225. These switches include a first switch 226 which is secured to shelf 22 by means of a bracket 227 and a block 228 as shown in FIGURE 1. This switch includes a movable element 230 which engages the tops of the bottles being fed to the machine and it will be understood that switch 226 is maintained in circuit closed condition so long as bottles are being fed to the machine by conveyor 10. Conversely, when the supply of bottles is exhausted, movable element 230 drops downwardly thereby opening switch 226.

As further shown in FIGURES 1 and 8, a manually operated on-oif switch 232 is mounted on a support 234 secured to brace 118. This switch is also in series between the motors and source 225 so that it is operative to initiate and terminate the operation of the machine so long as switch 226 remains closed. However, a third switch 236 is connected in parallel across switches 232 and 225 as schematically shown in FIGURE 8. The structural details of this switch are illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3 and include a movable element 238 carrying a cam follower roller 240 which engages a cam 242 rigidly secured to the upper end of cam shaft 198. Switch 236 is held in circuit closed position so long as roller 240 engages the circular portion of cam 242. However, when roller 240 engages the indented portion of this cam, switch 236 is opened and thereby `breaks the parallel circuit across switches 225 and 232. It will therefore be apparent that switch 236 serves to continue energization of the motors after either or both of switches 226, 236 are opened so that the motors are only deenergized when cam shaft 198 is in a predetermined position of its operating cycle at which time slot 167 in shaft 142 is aligned with respect to slot 182 so as lto be capable of receiving the information slip.

The operation of the dispensing machine is as follows. Assuming that the operating speed of conveyor is constant, element 94 of cam 88 is adjusted so that plate 74 is moved to the right and held in this position for an interval of time suicient to allow the conveyor to move one bottle into position directly beneath inserting assembly 50. Continued rotation of cam 88 then permits springs 82 to move plate 74 and block 106 to the left as viewed in FIGURES 2 and 6 so that the bottle is held in this position between block 106 and guide 112.

During this portion of the operating cycle, an attendant places one information slip between guides 38 and 39 and pushes the slip to the right so that it is engaged by feed rollers 42 and 44. These rollers then feed the slip further to the right until the forward edge of the slip abuts member 58 which is then in the lowermost position illustrated in FIGURE 2. As pointed out hereinabove, the smooth surface of drive roller 42 is such that it slips relative to the surface of the information slip which is retained from moving further to the right due to its abutting relationship with member 58.

As soon as a bottle is clamped in the proper position as just described, cam 66 engages roller 64 whereby link 60 is pivoted about point 62 and abutment 58 is moved upwardly out of engagement with the information slip. Thus, the information slip is then free to be fed to the right as viewed in FIGURE 6 so that it passes through slot 167 in shaft 142 which is then held stationary due to the abutment of pin 140 with rocker arm 208. Once the information slip is in the position shown in FIGURE 6, cam 216 pivots rocker arm 208 out of engagement with pin 140 so that shaft 142 begins to rotate under the torque supplied by slip clutch 138. Rotation of shaft 142 causes the opposite ends of the information slip to wind about portion 168 within the clearance provided between this portion of the shaft and the surfaces 17S and 180 Y of block elements 170 and 174.

While shaft 142 is thus rotating and winding the information slip about its lower end, cam l66 returns abutment 58 to its lowermost position so that another infor-mation slip cannot the fed into the winding portion of the machine. Thus, the next information slip may be fed through guides 38 and 39 but it is prevented from passing abutment 58. Simultaneously, cam 216 returns rocker arm 208 into the path of pin so that upon one revolution of shaft 142, the shaft is automatically stopped withslot167 again aligned with slot 182.

As soon as the information slip is wound about the lower portion of shaft 142, cam 224 engages roller 158 whereby link 154 is pivoted about point 156. This movement of link 154 produces -downward movement of sleeve 144 so that the lowermost portion 148 of the sleeve wipes the rolled information slip off of shaft 142 and projects it through aperture 149 into the fbottle. As soon as the slip is thus injected into the bottle, spring 166 returns link 154 so that the cylinder is again raised to the position shown in FIGURE 2 whereupon cam 88 again engages roller 86 so as to retract push-block 106 and permit conveyor 10 to move the filled bottle out from under the inserting assembly and move the next bottle into position.

Of course, the above described cycle of loperation is repeated so l-ong as both of switches 232 and 226 remain closed; However, upon manual actuation of switch 232 or upon opening of switch 226 due to a lack of bottles, the motors are not immediately fdeenergized due to the fact that switch 236 remains closed and thereby maintains a holding circuit between the motors and the source. As pointed out hereinabove, the angular position of cam 242 relative to the -other cams is such that switch 236 is `opened only when all of the components are in the positions illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2 which is the beginning of an operating cycle. Thus, the machine may lbe manually or automatically shut down during any phase of the operating cycle and the motors will continue to be energized until all of the components are returned to a predetermined condition wherein the machine is ready for subsequent operation without the need for manual realignment.

If for any reason during the operating cycle an information slip should become jammed within blocks 170 and 174, the latter may be readily removed so that the slip may be withdrawn.

From the foregoing description it will be readily apparent that the disclosed dispensing machine is in no way limited to use in the pharmaceutical iield and that numer-ous modifications and alterations may be made therein without departing from the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A :dispensing machine comprising means including continuously rotating rollers for feeding slips of flexible material along a path in a rst direction, obstruction means positioned along said path preventing the feeding of said slips from said feeding means during predetermined portions of each operating cycle, means for receiving said slips from said feeding means and wrapping said slips into tubular form, and means for ejecting said tubular formed slips from said wrapping means.

2. A machine in accordance with claim 1 having an endless belt conveyor for moving containers through the Imachine and means for successively positioning said containers relative to said ejecting means such that the slips are ejected into successive containers.

3. A dispensing machine comprising a shaft mounted for rotation, said shaft having a slot in the end portion thereof, a pair of rollers successively feeding individual slips of flexible material along a given direction into said slot, an abutment member mounted for movement into and out of restraining engagement with each of said slips while the latter are engaged by said rollers, means for movin-g said abutment member out of said restraining engagement only when said slot is aligned in said given direction to receive a slip, means to continuously rotate said rollers, a continuously operating motor, a slip clutch connected between said motor and said shaft, means for preventing said shaft from rotating, a sleeve surrounding said shaft for axial reciprocating movement relative to the shaft, and means for reciprocating said sleeve after said shaft has rotatively wound said slip into tubular for-m whereby sai-d tubular formed slip is engaged by said sleevel and ejected from said shaft.

4. A machine in accordance with claim 3 having a conveyor -for moving containers into a position aligned with said shaft, and means for retaining successive containers in said aligned position such that the ejected tubular for-med slips are ejected into successive containers.

5. A dispensing machine comprising a rotatable shaft having a slot extending through the end portion thereof, means including at least one continuously rotating roller for feeding successive slips of paper along a .path in a first direction into said slot, obstructi-on means positioned along said path preventing the feeding of said slips from said feeding means during predetermined portions of each operating cycle, a movable sleeve surrounding said shaft adjacent said slot, means for intermittently rotating said shaft so as to wind successive slips thereabout, and means -Eor moving said sleeve so as to engage and eject each of sai-d wound slips from -said sha-ft.

6. The machine as claimed in claim 5 wherein said slotted .portion of said shaft is partially surrounded by means forming a spaced, concentric surface, and means for `readily removing ysaid surface forming :means whereby access may be gained to said slotted shaft portion.

7. The machine as claimed in clai-m S further including automatic control means connected t-o said shaft rotatingmeans for stopping rotation of said shaft only when said slot is aligned with said first direction so as to be capable of receiving a slip from said feeding means.

8. A dispensing machine comprising means for successively -feeding slips of flexible material along a first direction, a slotted element positioned so as to receive said slips within said slot, a continuous drive motor, slip clutch means connecting said element to said motor for intermittently rotating said element to wind successive slips into tubular form, control means including a first switch connected in series with said motor and a secon-d switch connected in parallel with said rst switch, and means responsive to the angular position of said slot for opening said second switch only when said slot is aligned 8 with said first direction so as tobe capable of receiving a slip.

9. A `dispensing -machine comprising a shaft mounted for rotation, said shaft having a slot inthe end portion thereof, a pair of rollers successively feeding individual slips of flexible material along a given direction into said slot, an abutment member mounted for movement into and out of restraining engagement with each of said slips while the latter are engaged by said rollers, cam means for moving said abutment member out of said restraining engagement only when said slot is aligned in said given direction to receive a slip, a first motor continuously rotating said rollers, a second, continuously operating motor, a slip clutch connected between said second motor and said shaft, stop means movable into and out of engagement with said clutch means for preventing said shaft from rotating, cam means controlling the movement of said stop means, a sleeve surrounding said shaft for axial reciprocating movement relative to the shaft,

cam means for reciprocating said sleeve after said shaft has rotatively wound said slip into tubular 4form whereby -said tubular formed slip is engaged by said sleeve and ejected from said shaft, and drive means connecting each of said cam means to said second mot-or.

10. The machine as claimedin claim 9 in combination with a conveyor for moving containers into a position aligned with said shaft, means for retaining successive containers in said aligned position, and cam means driven by said second motor lfor operating said container retaining ymeans in synchronization with the movement of the containers on said conveyor.

11. The combination as claimed in claim 10 further including a Ifirst switch positioned in the path Iof said containers and connecte-d in series with -said -second motor, a second switch connected in parallel with said first switch, and cam means actuating said second switch to deenergize said second motor only when the first switch is open and when said slot is aligned to receive a slip.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED srArEs PATENTS 1,909,050 5/1933 Ferguson 53--117 X 2,696,335 12/1954 Pies 53-119X 2,731,183 1/1956 shaw 53-119 X 2,871,638 2/1959 Goodwin 53119 X 3,113,410 12/1963 Porn@ 53-119 TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DISPENSING MACHINE COMPRISING MEANS INCLUDING CONTINUOUSLY ROTATING ROLLERS FOR FEEDING SLIPS OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL ALONG A PATH IN A FIRST DIRECTION, OBSTRUCTION MEANS POSITIONED ALONG SAID PATH PREVENTING THE FEEDING OF SAID SLIPS FROM SAID FEEDING MEANS DURING PREDETERMINED PORTIONS OF EACH OPERATING CYCLE, MEANS FOR RECEIVING SAID SLIPS FROM SAID FEEDING MEANS AND WRAPPING SAID 